Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge by Lisa Jensen
- Pub. Date: July 10, 2018
- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Pages:352
- Rating:3.5/5
- Goodreads/Amazon/ Book Depository
Filled with magic and fierce emotion, Lisa Jensen's multilayered novel will make you question all you think you know about beauty, beastliness, and happily ever after.
They say Château Beaumont is cursed. But servant-girl Lucie can’t believe such foolishness about handsome Jean-Loup Christian Henri LeNoir, Chevalier de Beaumont, master of the estate. But when the chevalier's cruelty is revealed, Lucie vows to see him suffer. A wisewoman grants her wish, with a spell that transforms Jean-Loup into monstrous-looking Beast, reflecting the monster he is inside. But Beast is nothing like the chevalier. Jean-Loup would never patiently tend his roses; Jean-Loup would never attempt poetry; Jean-Loup would never express remorse for the wrong done to Lucie. Gradually, Lucie realizes that Beast is an entirely different creature from the handsome chevalier, with a heart more human than Jean-Loup’s ever was. Lucie dares to hope that noble Beast has permanently replaced the cruel Jean-Loup — until an innocent beauty arrives at Beast’s château with the power to break the spell.
Review: I have read so many different retelling's of Beauty and the Beast seeing how it is one of my all time favorite fairy tales so of course I had to jump at the chance to read Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge, I mean look at the title, that alone captured my interest, not to mention that beautiful cover which fits perfectly with the dark almost brothers grimm-esque type of tale you will find inside the pages of this beauty which Lisa Jensen has created.
When I went into this book I did not expect the direction in which it went. I expected a Belle (in this case Rose) and a Prince turned Beast but what I didn't expect was Lucie, I knew going in this would be a tale told from the perspective of someone else but still, Lucie surprised me, this was as much her story as it was the Beasts, not the prince (or in this case Lord Beaumont) but the Beasts, and I'll leave it at that I don't want to give any spoilers.
It took me about a week to finish the novel, I'm not sure how to explain it correctly but it was a very quiet novel, you are stuck inside Lucie's head the whole time while she is observing one person for majority of the book. It's not the most fast paced book, actually it moved rather slow but it was interesting but slow and quiet. In other words this book is not everyone's cup of tea. If you are okay with dark, gloomy reads this might be for you, I personally liked it even though I am used to fast paced action packed type of books and maybe that is because I grew to really care for Lucie and I was hell bent on knowing how things work out for her in the end, along with Beast.
Trigger warning: Rape and Suicidal thoughts
